Career and Education Opportunities for Correctional Officers in Boise, Idaho

If you want to be a correctional officer, the Boise, Idaho area offers many opportunities both for education and employment. There are currently 1,000 jobs for correctional officers in Idaho and this is projected to grow by 28% to 1,270 jobs by 2016. This is better than the national trend for correctional officers, which sees this job pool growing by about 9.4% over the next eight years. Correctional officers generally guard inmates in penal or rehabilitative institution in accordance with established regulations and procedures.

A person working as a correctional officer can expect to earn about $15 per hour or $32,100 yearly on average in Idaho and about $18 hourly or $38,380 per year on average in the U.S. as a whole. Correctional officers earn more than people working in the category of Correctional generally in Idaho and more than people in the Correctional category nationally. Jobs in this field include: immigration guard, cottage supervisor, and cottage master.

The Boise area is home to eleven schools of higher education, including one within twenty-five miles of Boise where you can get a degree as a correctional officer. The most common level of education for correctional officers is a high school diploma or GED. You can expect to spend only a short time studying to be a correctional officer if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Correctional Officer

Correctional Officer video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, correctional officers guard inmates in penal or rehabilitative institution in accordance with established regulations and procedures. They also may guard prisoners in transit between jail, courtroom, or other point.

Correctional officers perform head counts to insure that each prisoner is present. They also track conduct of prisoners in housing unit, or during work or recreational efforts, in line with established policies and procedures, to inhibit escape or violence. Equally important, correctional officers have to examine conditions of locks and gates at correctional facilities to insure security and help avoid escapes. They are often called upon to search prisoners and vehicles and conduct shakedowns of cells for valuables and contraband. They are expected to record data, such as prisoner identification and incidences of inmate disturbance, and keep daily logs of prisoner efforts. Finally, correctional officers take prisoners into custody and escort them to locations within and outside of facilities, such as visiting rooms or airports.

Every day, correctional officers are expected to be able to evaluate problems as they arise. They need to speak clearly. It is also important that they listen to and understand others in meetings.

It is important for correctional officers to drive passenger vehicles and trucks used to move inmates to other institutions and work sites. They are often called upon to serve meals, distribute commissary items, and dispense prescribed medication to prisoners. They also guard facility entrances to screen visitors. They are sometimes expected to manage records of prisoners' identification and charges. Somewhat less frequently, correctional officers are also expected to participate in required job training.

Correctional officers sometimes are asked to arrange daily schedules for prisoners including library visits and counseling appointments. They also have to be able to use nondisciplinary tools and equipment such as computers and settle disputes between inmates. And finally, they sometimes have to record data, such as prisoner identification and incidences of inmate disturbance, and keep daily logs of prisoner efforts.

Like many other jobs, correctional officers must be able to deal with stress and deal with situations calmly and have strong self control in the face of challenging situations.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Boise include:

Fire Code Inspector. Inspect buildings and equipment to detect fire hazards and enforce state and local regulations.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Correctional Officer Training

University of Phoenix-Idaho Campus - Meridian, ID

University of Phoenix-Idaho Campus, 3080 East Gentry Way, Suite 150, Meridian, ID 83642-3014. University of Phoenix-Idaho Campus is a small university located in Meridian, Idaho. It is a private for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs and has 403 students. University of Phoenix-Idaho Campus has a bachelor's degree program in Corrections and Criminal Justice, Other Specialties which graduated four students in 2008.

CERTIFICATIONS

Certified Corrections Executive:
This category includes individuals at the highest level of adult and juvenile corrections who oversee the development and implementation of policies and procedures.

Certified Corrections Supervisor - Security Threat Groups:
The American Correctional Association and the National Major Gang Task Force have collaborated to develop within the Corrections Certification Program a Security Threat Group specialization.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Boise, Idaho

Boise, Idaho photo by Dmharris26

Boise is situated in Ada County, Idaho. It has a population of over 205,314, which has grown by 10.5% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Boise, 90, is well below the national average. New single-family homes in Boise are priced at $245,800 on average, which is far greater than the state average. In 2008, one hundred eighty-three new homes were built in Boise, down from four hundred twenty-six the previous year.

The three most popular industries for women in Boise are health care, educational services, and accommodation and food services. For men, it is computer and electronic products, construction, and accommodation and food services. The average travel time to work is about 18 minutes. More than 33.6% of Boise residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 10.6%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Boise is 9.2%, which is greater than Idaho's average of 8.3%.

The percentage of Boise residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 44.5%, is less than both the national and state average. The most common religious groups are the LDS (Mormon) Church, the Catholic Church and the United Methodist Church.